Invalid bed seat



Feb. 2, 1965 G. B. HICKEY 3,167,790

INVALID BED SEAT Filed Dec. 28, 1962 INVENTOR GLADYS B. HICKEY I ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,167,790 INVALID BED SEAT Gladys B. Hickey, 55 Wachusett St, Worcester, Mass. Filed Dec. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 247,955 Claims. (Cl. 5332) This invention relates to a seat construction including a removable backrest for post operative cases, invalids, and where useful, to hold persons in bed in upright sitting position to dangle their feet over the side of the bed or to allow elderly persons to sit up to prevent hypostatic pneumonia, and for similar purposes.

The principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a relatively simple construction including a novel seat portion for a chair which can be positioned under any patient in bed and once in position the patient can then be moved about by moving the seat, and raised to a sitting position where desired, and including a special separate and removable backrest to be applied to said seat portion so as to provide for the patient to be able to assume a supported sitting position; the provision of a device as aforesaid in which a bedpan can be used in the chair seat or a cushion can be substituted for the bedpan, etc.; and the provision of a device of the class described including means for securing the same to the bed, adjustable and foldable table or desk means quickly and easily applied thereto, and a new and improved footrest which is adjustable and detachably connectable with respect to said seat; and means for securing the seat in desired position at the edge of the bed in case it is desired for the patient to dangle the feet.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates the same in position at the side of a bed with the foot support in place;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the foot support per se extended; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the table and the adjustable legs thereof. I

In carrying out the present invention, the main part thereof comprises a seat which is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10. This seat comprises a main seat portion 12 having a rim or upstanding flange 14 extending completely around it to receive a pad or the like 13. The seat may assume different forms but as shown the front portion of the seat and also the upstanding flange at the front is flat or chordal as at 16.

Appropriate pivoted handles 18 may be applied thereto for moving the same about and appropriate strap means as indicated at 20, 20 together with hooks 22, 22 may be utilized to secure the seat in position on a bed or at any other location desired.

The upstanding rim 14 is provided with a series of horizontal eyes 24, 24 at the sides and rear thereof and at the front portions 16 it is provided with a pair of aligned vertical eyes 26, 26.

The backrest is generally indicated by the reference numeral 28 and preferably comprises a relatively high backrest portion and a pair of armrests as for instance pressed outwardly but cams inwardly when the backrest is set on the seat and the projections 32 are aligned with and enter the horizontal rigid eyes 24. When this is done, the projections, 34 cam inwardly and snap in under the eyes 24, 24 and thus lock the backrest to the seat in releasable condition with respect thereto.

A strip-like member of flexible material is generally indicated by the reference numeral 36, and it is threaded through convenient slots in an adjustable footrest plate 38 provided with upstanding side flanges 40, 40. At one end strip 36 is provided with a hem or the like 42 with a pin 44 therein for insertion in vertical eyes 26, 26 at the forward portion of the seat 10 (see FIG. 2).

At the opposite end of the footrest it is provided with any kind of straps 46, 46 which can be attached to the vertical eyes 48, 48 at the forward portion of the table 50. The importance of the footrest is that the patient may sit in the chair at the edge of the bed and dangle the feet resting them on the plate 38. The feet are thus held in position and cannot slide off because of the side flanges 4ft. By reason of the adjusting belt, the strap can be made as long or as short as may be desired by conventional buckles 49.

The table or lapboard portion of the device is generally indicated by the reference numeral 50 and provides a flat surface 52 having a three-sided upstanding flange thereon as at 54 together with telescoping folding legs 56. These legs are comprised of a series of telescoping members which can be held by a folding bracket 58, one for each leg. The table may be provided with hooks as at 69 to hook onto the armrest portions 39 or any other desired portion of the device and the legs 56 can then be extended to contact the ground or the floor while the patient sits up in bed. By reason of the fact that the legs 56 are extensible it can also be used as a bed table in cases where it is not desired for the patient to sit up with the legs dangling, i.e., where the knees cannot flex due to the use of casts, etc.

The seat 12 is provided with the flange 14 among other reasons for the purpose of receiving a bedpan therein if this should become necessary while if the bedpan is not necessary then any kind of soft pad or the like can be utilized instead. The device can be moved about the surface of the bed with the patient on it by the handles 18 and also these handles can be used for the purpose of anchoring further straps which may be found desirable to locate the seat in desired position on the bed even though not at the edge of the bed. However, if the device is placed at the edge of the bed, then the straps 20 are hooked onto the bed rails and these straps may be provided with conventional adjusting buckles in order to lengthen and shorten the eifective lengths thereof as required by circumstances,

It will be seen that this invention provides a device which relieves the nurse of a great deal of confining time etc., because the patient can be located in the comfortable chair and left to his own devices, whereas without such a device the nurse might have to be in constant attendance particularly upon persons who could not lift themselves in the sitting position. Furthermore, the seat itself is used as a sort of a vehicle for moving the patient about the surface of the bed once the device has been put in place under the posterior, and then when the torso of the patient is lifted, the backrest part can be slipped into the seat means for receiving the same and thus the nurse can leave the patient for other duties. Also, other benefits as stated above are obtained for invalids, post operatives, elderly patients, etc.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein 3 disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in what I claim is:

l. A chair construction comprising an independently movable seat member, an upstanding flange thereon, means on said flange for receiving a backrest, a back rest, fasteners on the backrest for cooperation With the backrest receiving means on the flange for temporarily releasably securing the backrest in position with respect to said flange, said backrest being completely removable from the seat flange, and means on said seat for securing the same in desired, position on a bed.

2. A chair as recited in claim 1 including an elongated flexible member, means securing the same tosaid the claims, but

flange at the forward portion of said seat, means at the,

opposite end of said flexible member for securing the same to said chair construction to receive the feet of the patient, and .a foot plate on said elongated flexible member.

3. A chair as recited in claim 1 including an elongated flexible member, means securing the same to said flange at the forward portion of said seat, means at the opposite end of said flexible member for securing the same to said chair construction to receive the feet of the patient, and a foot plate on said elongated flexible member, and side flanges on said foot plate, said plate being adjustable along the length of said flexible member.

4. A chair as recited in claim .1 including an elongated flexible member, means securing the same to said flange at the forward portion of. said seat, means at the opposite end of said flexible member for securing the same to said chair construction to receive the feet of the patient, and a foot plate-on said elongated flexible member, 21 foldable table,'rneans for temporarilyattaching the same to the backrest, extensible legs on said table, said long flexible member having means for securement at one end to'said table.

5. A chair as recited in claim 1 including armrests integral with the backrest, aU-shaped frame upon Which the backrest and. armrests are mounted, the fasteners being mounted on the U-shaped frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent. UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A CHAIR CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING AN INDEPENDENTLY MOVABLE SEAT MEMBER, AN UPSTANDING FLANGE THEREON, MEANS ON SAID FLANGE FOR RECEIVING A BACKREST, A BACKREST, FASTENERS ON THE BACKREST FOR COOPERATION WITH THE BACKREST RECEIVING MEANS ON THE FLANGE FOR TEMPORARILY RELEASABLY SECURING THE BACKREST IN POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SAID FLANGE, SAID BACKREST BEING COMPLETELY REMOVABLE FROM THE SEAT FLANGE, AND MEANS ON SAID SEAT FOR SECURING THE SAME IN DESIRED POSITION ON A BED. 